Dur-An-Ki
Dur-An-Ki ("Master of Heaven and Earth") or Assamite Sorcery (see below) is a form of blood magic practiced by Kindred of the Middle East and Africa, particularly the sorcerers of the Assamite clan and the Shango legacy of the Laibon. It is a very old form of magic, drawing from a huge variety of mortal religious traditions, and pre-dating Thaumaturgy, which it resembles in many ways. Overview Originally the main form of blood magic practiced by all Kindred, Dur-An-Ki became lost to European vampires during the Dark Ages. It differs from Thaumaturgy mainly in that its practitioners, called ashipu, do not impose their will on the world through abstract symbols of power. Instead they call upon ancient covenants with spirits, commanding them to fulfill their desires, though this is a very different practice to the long-lasting pacts made with demons by practitioners of Dark Thaumaturgy. Rather than the hermetic trappings of Thaumaturgy, Dur-An-Ki draws heavily on astrology, the use of amulets and talismans, and especially ecstatic practices. By entering into a trance, the ashipu ascends the "Ladder of Heaven" to meet ever more powerful spirits and gain more powerful magic. Assamite sorcerers usually use a drug called kalif for this purpose, but there are many other methods, including dancing, pain, meditation and artistic expression. Besides the Assamites, the other prominent faction to utilize Dur-An-Ki are the Baali of the Order of Moloch. Being in a unique position to know what Mesopotamian gods were masks for creatures of the Outer Dark and who were not, the Baali made covenants with the oldest, most primordial entities. In contrast to Assamites, who use kalif, the Baali mainly use pain inflicted by their own Clan Curse to achieve ecstasy. Dur-An-Ki vs Assamite Sorcery Dur-An-Ki is a form of magic that originated in ancient Mesopotamia that Assamite Sorcerers have incorporated into their own practices. However it is not confined to Assamites, or indeed Kindred, as it grew out of a mortal magical tradition, though it is likely only mages would have had any success using it. Some scholars refer to Assamite blood magic specifically as "Assamite Sorcery", either from ignorance (few western Kindred are familiar with the Shango or know of other ashipu besides the Assamites) or to deliberately distinguish it from the broader tradition of Dur-An-Ki. Assamites, however, refer to their magic as Dur-An-Ki and see no need to distinguish themselves from other practitioners. Paths Dur-An-Ki does not have a set primary path – note that the most detailed paths are unique to Dur-An-Ki: Awakening of the Steel Source * Confer with the Blade: See events and informations that have transpired around a weapon. * Grasp of the Mountain: Mystically enforce the grip on your weapon * Pierce Steel's Skin: Direct your weapon to destroy any protective measures of the enemy * Razor's Shield: Allows to parry projectiles * Strike at the True Flesh: Bypass any supernatural protection in your attack Hunter's Winds Source * Scent of Deception: Alters your scent * Chameleon's Skin: Alter your skin and clothing to assume nearby coloring and texture * Unassuming Pose: Blend in a crowd of people * Whiff of Kalif: Appear physically intoxicating * Ghost Body: Become invisible, inaudible, and intangible Covenant of Nergal Source * Maskim's Touch: Cause symptoms of influenza in a target * Breath of Ereshkigal: Breath upon a target, inflicting minor disease * Nergal's Blessing: Lessen the symptoms of a pathogenic illness * Nergal's Wrath: Inflict a disease of choice on a target * Ill Wind: Spread a disease simply through your nearby presence Evil Eye Source * Humiliation: Cause a victim to have bad luck in its next action * Loss: Cause a victim to lose a valued piece of property * Peril: Cause a victim to suffer a dangerous accident * Enemy: Cause a victim to lose Allies * The Eye That Wounds: Inflict damage on your target Music of the Spheres Source * Song of Mercury: Deaden emotions through music * Song of Venus: Enhance affection through music * Song of Mars: Enhance aggression through music * Song of Jupiter: Allows to resist Presence and similar attempts of emotional control * Song of Saturn: Inspire supernatural fear in an audience Echoes of Allah's Wrath Source * Curse of Lifeless Mien: Curse a mortal to appear sinister and withdrawn * Curse of Heavenly Dolor: Curse a mortal to recoil from symbols of faith * Curse of Unfettered Rage: Curse a mortal to experience a Frenzy * Curse of Boundless Thirst: Curse a mortal to gain only sustenance from blood * Curse of Forbidden Sol: Curse a mortal to fear the sunlight like a vampire does Whispers of the Heavens Source * Map the Skies: Read the stars to determine your exact position * Read the Heaven’s Plans: See an omen of the future * Call Down the Hunter’s Moon: Determine the best course of action for specific undertaking * Trace the Soul’s Favor: Divine important aspects from a person whose birth date is known * Ripples on the Sea of Stars: See parts of the world from aerial perspective Blessings of the Great Dark Mother Source * Cradlesong: Sense any supernatural pacts or spiritual ties, including the Blood Bond, that bind a target * Kessep: Sever one supernatural tie to a demon or spirit * Sotheq: Temporarily block all supernatural ties to a demon or spirit * Allah: Sever all supernatural pacts with a demon or spirit * Memo: Purge a target from all supernatural pacts, as well as learning to whom he was indebted Keepers Way Note: This Path is only available to the protectors of the Heartsblood * Sense the Ripples: Use the accumulated knowledge of the Heartsblood to become aware of future events * Gift of Haqim: Make blood points drawn from the Heartsblood last longer * The Distant Crimson: Use the Heartsblood to see through the eyes of any Assamite in a one hundred kilometer radius * Know the Fate of One: Use the Heartsblood to gain detailed knowledge of the fate of a chosen vampire * Cast into the Pool of Blood: Use the Heartsblood to influence future events by either aiding or hindering vampires in the vicinity of the Heartsblood Similar Paths As Dur-An-Ki shares magical roots with Thaumaturgy and many other magical practices, many of the common paths are available, though they are usually identified with a particular spirit or type of spirit, and called by a name which identifies that spirit. As with Akhu, in most cases these paths pre-date the Tremere versions. Thanks to many centuries of contact with other magic users, the ashipu may also know a few paths practiced by other Middle-eastern traditions. Alchemy Similar to the homonymous path. Covenant of Enki Similar to Neptune's Might. Elemental Mastery Similar to the homonymous path. Echo of Nirvana Similar to the Path of the Focused Mind. Hands of Destruction Similar to the homonymous path. Hand of the Magi Similar to Lure of Flames. Gifts of the Heart Similar to the homonymous path. Gifts of Faith Similar to the homonymous path. Jinn's Gift Similar to the Path of Conjuring. Life's Water Similar to the Path of Blood. Movement of the Mind Similar to the homonymous path. Path of the Ailing Jackal Similar to the Path of the Father's Vengeance. Path of the Blood's Curse Similar to the homonymous path. Path of Blood Nectar Similar to the homonymous path. Path of Duat Similar to the homonymous path. Path of the Levinbolt Similar to the homonymous path. Path of Warding Similar to the homonymous path. Suleiman's Laws Similar to Spirit Manipulation. Weather Control Similar to the homonymous path. Additional Powers Although it is still possible to them, students of Assamite Sorcery have great difficulty learning the practices of other blood magic traditions. All experience points costs to learn other blood magic paths and rituals are increased by half (round up) for Assamite sorcerers. In addition, even once the sorcerer has incorporated these lessons into her repertoire, they are still alien to her. All invocations of a "foreign" path require one extra blood point and all rituals take triple the normal time and require one extra success for any desired result. Rituals Many Assamite rituals revolve around contact between the reclusive viziers and worldly assassins. The latter exchange vitae for magical services. Also, invoking rituals requires one to ingest at least one point of vitae from a vessel under the influence of kalif, or to actively inhale large quantities of the smoke itself and consciously move it through one's body by forcing blood to circulate. References * * - chapter 2 * * * * * ---- Awakening the Steel The Hunter's Winds Covenant of Nergal The Evil Eye Music of the Spheres Echoes of Allah's Wrath Whispers of the Heavens Blessings of the Great Dark Mother The Keepers Way Category:Assamite Category:Blood Magic (VTM) Category:Discipline (VTM) Category:Trademark Blood Magic (VTM)